Concerns Over Rail Operation at Delaware City Refinery

The derailment of a crude oil train that killed nearly 50 people in a Quebec town near the U.S. border has gotten the attention of Delaware officials.

The Federal Railroad Administration is holding an emergency meeting this Thursday to review the findings of a rail safety advisory committee.

Delaware officials are concerned about the highly flammable Bakken oil in that accident.

The reason: The rail operation that surrounds the Delaware City Refinery.

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Collin O’Mara says he’s wants to know if there’s this kind of corrosive property and if so what additional safety steps should be taken.

Delaware Audubon has expressed concerns about hydrogen sulfide gas and the corrosiveness in the oil from Bakken shale oil fields of the upper Mid-West.

The environmental group has challenged Delaware City’s rail operation under the Coastal zone Act and is appealing a dismissal in court.